The present invention relates to a reusable system for the construction of roadways and equipment support surfaces in areas having poor ground integrity characteristics. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system of durable laminated mats which can be interconnected to form roadways and/or equipment support surfaces. More particularly still, the present invention relates to a reusable system of laminated mats which can be quickly and easily positioned in a single layer to form roadways and/or equipment support surfaces, and which can thereafter be easily removed and stored until needed again.
In remote and unstable environments, a stable roadway (or any roadway) often does not exist, such that temporary roadways are assembled by aligning planks, boards or mats along the desired path. The mats provide temporary structures for various construction projects as well as for use in environmental or disaster cleanup projects. These mats enable trucks and other equipment to drive over, store equipment on, or create campsites on otherwise unstable, soft or moist land or damaged areas by providing a relatively level and stable surface.
Mats for this use are generally known in the art. In particular, two and three layer laminated mats have been used for many years. These mat, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,712 for example, are made from a plurality of boards with spacing between each of the boards in each layer.
Similarly, US patent application US 2017/0037581 A1 discloses a crane mat having a plurality of panels of lumber positioned in alternating transverse directions with respect to one another, where the top and bottom panels are oriented parallel to the direction of vehicular traffic. The top and bottom panels may include a plurality of spaced apart grooves extending longitudinally from a first longitudinal end of the crane mat to a second longitudinal end of the crane mat for enhancing traction of a vehicle when traversing across the crane mat by transporting rain or moisture off the mat, or for receiving mud or other debris. The crane mat may include a plurality of edge protectors positioned on respective sides of the crane mat to protect the crane mat from handling damage. In various embodiments, the crane mat may be manufactured using either softwood, hardwood, or any combination of softwood and hardwood.
While conventional wood mats of this type provide useful service at a reasonable cost, the wood core can deteriorate over time due to moisture causing gradual rotting and degradation of the wood material. This causes the mat to be discarded, because unlike some of the other materials that are used on the upper and lower layers of the mat, the core cannot be replaced without essentially making an entirely new mat.
Thus, there is a need for improvement in mat construction in order to provide better strength and longer service lives. There is also a need for mats having improved resistance to abuse and damage as well as to provide reusable and replaceable components to further extend their service lives. There are also needs for better lifting elements for transport, installation and retrieval of industrial mats. The present invention now provides new laminated mat constructions that meet these needs.